Belonging to the Soldier
by AMarieKelley
Summary: Bucky Barnes is struggling with who he was as the Winter Soldier and who he is as Bucky Barnes. When he meets Evanna Franklin, a doctoral psych student, things take a turn for him.


Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize, just the original character!

AN: I was asked by a reviewer by the name of NicoleR85 to write a Bucky/OC story so here it is! My first Avengers/Captain America Crossover! Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Run-ins with a Doctoral Student

It was a warm, sunny spring day in Manhattan, New York and James "Bucky" Buchanan Barns, AKA The Winter Soldier, was walking down Broadway near Columbia University when he accidentally bumped into someone. "Shit! I'm so sorry," the female voice said. It was soft and sweet, triggering a protective, possessive feeling in him.

"Here, let me help you," he said, dropping down to help her pick her books up.

"Thanks," the woman replied, gratefulness in her voice.

"You're welcome, ma'am," he answered.

"Ma'am?" she asked, finally looking up at him.

Bucky froze when he locked on her sea green eyes. He felt as if everything was tilting 180 degrees. "It's how I was raised," he murmured, his cheeks heating up. "I'm James Barnes," he added as they stood up. "but friends call me Bucky."

She smiled and he felt it all the way down to his toes. "Hello Bucky, I'm Evanna Franklin, but friends call me Eve or Eva," she answered.

"Evie," he murmured, his gray-green eyes locked with hers.

She blushed. "I haven't been called Evie since I was 5," she told him.

"Sorry," he replied, his cheeks getting redder.

"No, you're fine," she replied. "I should get going or I'll be late," she added, though she looked as if she would rather stay and talk to him because she made no move to leave.

"Yes, of course," Bucky replied. She nodded and went on her way.

Bucky got back to the Stark Tower and went up to the Avengers' floor. "Hey, how was the walk?" Steve asked, looking up at his best friend.

"It was good until I accidentally ran into this dame with an insane number of books," he answered, sitting down.

"A girl?" the familiar voice of Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, asked, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

Bucky groaned and looked at Steve, his face clearly asking, 'why the hell did I agree to live with the son of Howard Stark?'. Steve shrugged, but stood up and moved toward his friend, to ward off a Tony Stark style inquisition.

"Yes, Stark, a girl," Bucky answered, rolling his eyes.

"What girl?" Tony asked, grinning.

"Stark, lay off the guy," Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, said, walking in. "He can kill you and make it look like an accident."

"But he ran into a girl!" Tony exclaimed.

"What?" Clint immediately became more interested and walked over to Bucky, Steve, and Tony. "A girl?" he asked his fellow spy/assassin.

"Bucky sighed, irritated. "Yes, a girl," he answered, enunciating his words slowly and softly. It was his 'I'm getting pissed so you better lay off' warning tone. Clearly, they ignored it.

"JARVIS, tell the rest of the Avengers in the building that Bucky met a girl so he doesn't have to repeat himself," Clint said to the AI.

"Yes, Agent Barton," the AI replied, his voice a crisp, British accent like a butler would have.

That was something Bucky was still getting used to. Stark's AI was always there to assist them should they need it. It kind of creeped him out a little to know that the AI was always there, watching over them.

Thor, Darcy, Jane, Pepper, Bruce dragged in by his girlfriend, Betty Ross, and Natasha came out of the elevator. "He met a girl! I'm so proud," Darcy said, wiping away a fake tear.

Bucky covered his face with his hands. They were never going to let this go. "So seriously, who is this girl?" Stark pressed.

"Nobody! I LITERALLY bumped into her!" Bucky said, shooting to his feet. The Avengers stepped back, Tony, Steve, Thor, and Bruce, stepping in front of Pepper, Darcy, Jane, and Betty. Bucky rolled his eyes. "I'm going to my floor, now," he said bitterly. He stalked to the elevator and it closed as he folded his arms over his chest.

The next day, Bucky was walking around again. The Avengers didn't fully trust him and he didn't really blame them, but it still hurt that they thought he was going to snap and forget who he was. He didn't really pay attention to where his feet were taking him, but when he finally came out of his thoughts, he realized he was on the Columbia University campus. "It's beautiful don't you think?" he heard a familiar voice ask.

He turned and smiled a little when he saw Evanna. "It is," he agreed. "Where did you go for your initial degree?" he asked, wanting to forget about last night.

"Stanford University in California," she answered. "Full ride scholarship, thanks to graduating early with a 4.54 GPA and being valedictorian."

"Stanford, huh?" he smirked. "I was more of a Yale man myself," he added in a faux haughty tone.

Evanna laughed and they began walking together. She didn't say anymore, but she didn't really need to. It was a comfortable silence they were walking in. Bucky smiled a little, guilt in his eyes. "You know just when to talk and when to not talk don't you?" he asked quietly.

"I prefer not to push and let people talk when they want to," she answered with a shrug.

Bucky looked down at her, she was a petite thing, barely reaching his shoulder, with an hourglass figure and long, thick, copper-red hair. Her sea green eyes saw more than she let on and her very fair skin looked, and probably was, soft. "Have you heard of The Winter Soldier?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "I've heard stories, yes," she answered softly.

"Well I'm…" he trailed off, swallowing hard. "I'm-"

Evanna pressed a finger to his lips gently. "Come on," she said, before he could continue, "let's take this somewhere a little more private, where not everyone can overhear us." He nodded and she led him to the Columbia University library.

Evanna led him to a study room and closed the door. She closed the blinds for good measure and sat down across from him. "Okay, I think we're good now," she told him softly.

Bucky sighed heavily, dropping his head into his hands. "I was the Winter Soldier or I am him…I don't know anymore," he confessed, feeling lost. "I've…killed people," he murmured, feeling ashamed. "I'm a ghost, a legend, and my ledger is dripping red." He looked up at her through broken eyes. "I could hurt you. I have these moments where I think I'm back there…with them…doing terrible things," he murmured, his voice breaking. "I have nightmares and sometimes I forget where I am. I've never forgotten who I am."

"Bucky…" she murmured, biting her lower lip.

"I could hurt you," he told her, "it would never be on purpose, but I could. I know hand to hand combat and I know how to use different weapons."

She looked at him thoughtfully, tilting her head to the side. "You could," she agreed. She scooted her chair closer, "but I trust you."

"You shouldn't," he said bitterly, thinking of the Avengers, Jane, Darcy, Pepper, and Betty, "I might snap and forget who I am."

"I don't think you will," she replied, absolute trust in her eyes. "And if you do, I'll wait patiently until you remember, because I'm almost positive you're suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"What?" he asked, his brows knitting in confusion.

"They would have called it shell shock in your day," she began gently. "These days, we know more about it and have given it an actual name. It happens to people who have been through extremely traumatic situations. Soldiers suffer most commonly from PTSD because they see things no one should," Evanna explained quietly.

"So none of what's happening now is my fault?" he asked, pleading in his eyes.

She reached forward and gently held his hand in hers. "No," she answered definitively.

He smiled weakly. "Good to know," he murmured.

Evanna bit her lower lip. "I have the rest of the day free, do you want to get lunch? I'm kind of starving," she said, crossing her legs.

Bucky smiled and stood up. "Sounds like a great idea," he told her. He offered her his metal arm without thinking (not that she could see it under the jacket and glove that he was wearing) and she beamed up at him, looping her arm through his.

That afternoon, Bucky got back to the tower and went up to his floor. He didn't feel like talking to or seeing the rest of the Avengers. He walked into his living room and dropped into a wing back chair. He looked down at his metal arm and curled the hand into a fist. He hated Hydra and everything they did to him. He clenched his jaw and was staring out the window when he heard the elevator ding. "What's got you so pissed?" Stark asked.

"Hydra," Bucky answered, glancing at the man. He noticed Pepper, Jane, Darcy, and Betty where nowhere to be seen. "Left the girls behind. Smart. I might just forget who I am," he said bitterly.

"Bucky," Steve began.

"Just leave me alone," Bucky muttered, looking at his metal arm with disgust.

"Bucky, come on," Steve said quietly, "we do trust you."

"Not implicitly and certainly not like her!" Bucky snarled, getting to his feet.

"Her? That woman you met?" Steve asked.

"She trusts me not to hurt her, trusts me that I won't forget who I am whenever I get slightly angry or irritated," Bucky snapped. He sighed and looked out the window, his shoulder length hair swinging forward to hide his face. "Just…leave me alone," he murmured, dropping back into the chair.

"Bucky, the good Captain has told us of your honor," Thor said quietly, "we do not mean to insult that honor by assuming you would fall backwards. We only mean to protect that honor by keeping you from doing something you would regret."

Bucky looked at the God of Thunder and smiled a little. "Thank you, Thor…that's oddly comforting," he told the Thunderer.

"You are welcome, Friend Bucky," Thor replied, smiling kindly.

Tony, Steve, Thor, Clint, and Bruce left his floor, leaving Bucky to sink back into his thoughts.


End file.
